Number of Thai visitors to Vietnam sees sharp increase in H1

The number of Thai visitors to Vietnam in the first half of 2019 recorded a sharp increase of 45% when compared to the same period last year, thanks to the launching of new air routes liking Thailand and major tourist cities in Vietnam.

The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam maintain positive growth in H1
The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam maintain positive growth in H1

The number of visitors from key traditional markets such as Chinese Taipei, Indonesia and the Republic of Korea, also maintained positive growth of 27%, 22% and 21%, respectively.

The information was released at a press conference held in Hanoi by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) on July 9 to review the hospitality sector’s operation in the first six months of this year.

According to Vu Quoc Tri, Chief of Office at VNAT, Vietnam welcomed around 45.5 million domestic visitors and nearly 8.5 million foreigners in the January-June period, up 7.5% year on year.

The tourism sector earned VND 338.2 trillion (US$14.5 billion) in revenues, a year-on-year rise of 8.4%.

The outcomes were the result of VNAT’s tourism promotional programmes and its effort to develop new tourist destinations, Tri said.

However, he acknowledged shortcomings that still remain in tourism activities such as ensuring security, safety and environmental hygiene for visitors, particularly during festivals and peak seasons.

In 2019, Vietnam targets to welcome 17.5-18 million international tourists and 85 million domestic travellers, and gain VND700 trillion (US$30.1 billion) from total tourism revenues.